M9A1 question

Hi, guys. First post here.

My #1 grandson is going into the USMC. I want to get him an M9-like pistol (yes, I know they are very restrictive re having it on base, etc. I will keep it until he gets a couple of stripes or a butter bar... not sure which way he is going yet). My information is that most Marine units now have the M9A1.

I know that, in the past, Beretta offered for sale a near-identical version of the M9, in a plain cardboard box, etc. This is my question: the Beretta catalog # JS92M9A1 (Bud's stock # 23507) as offered by Bud's Guns APPEARS to be a similar example of the M9A1. True? If not, where should I look?

Did the 'A1 bump up to 17 round magazine capacity? I see that's the option on Beretta's site. One wonders if Beretta even still makes their own magazines, or sub-contracts out to Meg-Gar like many other firms do these days?

It's a 92FS model M9A1, the same as what the marines are currently issued, rail, checkered grip, and comes with 2 - 15 round sand resistent Beretta factory magazines and is interchangeable with other 92 series magazines as well including the 17 rd magazines. If it were me i'd probably opt for the 92A1 17 rd (2204) internal recoil buffer and comes with 2- 17 round mags. If he needed the 15 rd sand resistent magazines you can get them at Beretta currently $55.00 a pop. Semper-fi.

Yes the Corp uses the M9 however not everyone even gets a chance to shoot one, I never did. And that is because I never had a need to use one you don't get one till you are a SSgt and even that is slowing down they are opting to give Staff NCOs M4's instead. So that leaves officers and those who's MOS dictates they get one. Like flight crew where a rifle could impede their movement.

I could have qualified with the M9, but I chose to sleep instead of waking a few hours earlier to make it to the range.